North Ferriby VS St Helens Town FC

North Ferriby 2 St Helens Town 0

North Ferriby are through to the Second Qualifying Round of this seasons Buildbase FA Vase when they ground out a 2-0 home win over St Helens Town. The tie had been switched from St Helens and was 15 minutes late kicking off due to the opposition stuck on the M62 due to an accident.

As you would expect from a Lancashire team it was an opposition with a dogged determination but Ferriby were up to the task. The home side led 1-0 at the break but it could have been more as they spurned chances and denied by some great goalkeeping.

Manager Chris Bolder was proud of the way his side played even in defence when St Helens were allowed to press. But, it was a great all round performance and sees the Villagers at home to Northwich Victoriain the next round.

“I think in the first half we were very good and unlucky not to have come up with a couple more goals as their keeper has made a couple of top class saves and we probably spurned a couple of good opportunities,” he said.

“The second half saw the game pan out a little bit and we probably sat in a little too deep and invited a little bit of pressure. To be fair the pressure wasn’t as such where they were causing us problems and hurting us.”

“We had a good solid shape about us and other then a speculative free kick they have had a shot on target. We want our foundations to build them out of possession and we then know we have enough in the side to hurt teams.”

“I must credit St Helens, I though they were very brave in possession. They are a good football side, but as much as I enjoyed watching them at times, they didn’t cause us any problems as I thought we put in an unbelievable shift today.”

The first real chance should have seen a ninth minute goal for Ferriby when a great cross to Scott Phillips saw the striker head it from close range. Saints keeper Nathan Wolland got down low to his left to push the ball round the post.

Saints had their one real chance a few minutes later when Neil Weaver hit a free kick but it was well covered by Jordan Douglas. Ferriby then thought they had scored when Phillips headed down for a superb Louis Kirk strike to be ruled out for an alleged foul by Phillips.

This was how it stayed through to half-time with the opening of the second half seeing the visitors pressuring but with no real venom. There was a stifled claim for a penalty when Louis Kirk went down in the area before Phillips found Emerton in space but the chance was wasted.

The second goal finally came on 77 minutes to seal the Villagers passage into the next round when substitute Tom Corner was upended. Fellow substitute Danny Buttle took the spot kick and fired it home to make it 2-0.

Ferriby are quickly back in action when they open their league campaign, present Covid restrictions allowing when they travel to Harrogate Railway on Tuesday night. Bolder is aware he will need his full squad ahead of a further eight games in 19 days when he added; “I think you can see the work ethic amongst the boys is incredible and there will be a few tired legs but it will be the same for Harrogate. We will have evaluated the squad over the weekend and then we will pick a side we feel is going to get us the result there.

“It’s going to be tough and challenging and it’s why we are blessed at the minute with a healthy squad. Although some lads are disappointed to have been left out at the weekend it is a squad game and everyone will be required to play their part for us.”

 

 

Ferriby: Jordan Douglas, Ben Leyland, Liam Nelthorpe, Levi Tarbotton, Niall Tilsley ©, Iwan Heeley, Danny Emerton, Louis Kirk, Scott Phillips, Danny East, Jamie Forrester Subs: Joel Shortland (Heeley 70), Lewis Exall, Danny Buttle (Phillips 70), Josh Dennett, Tom Corner (East 62)

Goals: Emerton (27), Buttle (pen 77)

 

Saints: Nathan Wolland, Jesse Robinson, Yaroslav Maksymyk, Colyfa Kamara, Daniel Lomax ©, Joshua Odukomaya, David McGrath, Hal McHugh, Joel Douglas, Neil Weaver, Jamie Apperley Subs: Stephen Brown, Andrew Webster, Mackell Bennett (Weaver H/T), Morgan Onuh (McGrath 82), Lewis Fearns (McHugh 69), Zak Kechil 

 

Referee: Luke Tompkins 

Attendance: 242